Philemon temet gates



(NoModeL) P T GATES SBCTIONAL LADDER.

No. 303,721. Patented Au 19, 1884.

$ I z I imm a. &

Mama? Uni-TED STATES PATENT rrrce;

PHILEMON TENNEY GATES, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

SECTlONAL LADDER.

ZBPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,721, dated August.19, 1884.

Application filed March 29, 1884. (No model.)

1?) aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, .PHILEMON T. GATES, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SectionalIiadders; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements in theconstruction of sectional ladders, whereby two or more short ladders maybe securely fastened together to provide a continuous ladder of anydesired length, and which maybe readily put together or taken apart,although my said invention is as equally adapted for securing frames,platforms, screens, &c., together in a like manner; and my improvementsconsist, essentially, in the novel arrangement of said ladders, frames,&c., together, and in the manner of looking or securing the severalsections in position, all as will be hereinafter more fully described,and specifically designated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view oftwo short or sectional ladders joined together in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2, a detail sectional view of two frames securedtogether in a similar manner. Figs. 3 and 4 represent detail sectionalviews, and Figs. 5 to 7 modifications of my invention.

Similarletters of reference occurring 011 the several figures indicatelike parts.

In carrying out my improvements each of the short or sectional ladders Amay be of any desired length, and similar in all respects to each other,being preferably constructed broader at the lower extremities andgradually growing narrower toward the top, so that the inner sides, a,of the bottom of one ladder will fit smoothly against the outer sides,I), of the top of another ladder, when the two are joined together, asfully shown in Fig. 1; The upper and lower ends of the sides of eachladder are provided with grooves or notches c, as shown, so that whentwo ladders or sections are joined together the bottom round, (I, of theupper ladder fits snugly in the notches c in the top of the lowerladder, and the notches in the bottom of the upper ladder rest over andupon the ends of the upper round, 0, in the lower ladder, the ends ofthe said round 0 projecting beyond the sides of the ladder a shortdistance, as shown. On both sides of the bottom of each ladder orvsection, except the first or ground section, is provided a spring clutchor fastener, 13, the lower end of which projects over and beneath theprotruding ends of the round e, or their equivalent, to holdthe twosections firmly together. This spring clutch or fastener B is preferablyformed from a short length of wire, which is first bent double, thenagain bent double, then again bent so as to provide a central loop orcoil, 9, a hooked lower end, h, formed with a projecting lip orthumb-piece, h, and its opposite end,-i, projecting downward, as shown.The spring-clutch thus formed is adapted to fit within a verticalgroove, is, in. the sides of the bottom of each ladder or section, a pinor bolt, 1, passing through the sides of the ladder or section andthrough the central loop or coil, 9, to hold the spring in place.

Modifications of the spring fastener are shown at Figs 5 to 7, theprojecting ends of the spring B lapping over the lower round of theupper ladder to hold the two sections to gether, as shown in Fig. 5; ora pin or bolt, B, provided with a flat or coiled spring secured withinthe side of one of the sections, may be adapted to project into anopening in the side of the opposite section, to hold the two partstogether, as shown in Fig. 7.

I do not wish to confinemyself to the particular manner above describedof splicing the ladders or sections together, as the same may be fittedtogether by a tongue and groove, as shown in Fig. 2, or by any of thewell-known methods of joining two or more ladders, sections, or framestogether, the essential feature of my invention being the employment ofa spring clutch or fastener to securely hold the several sections inplace when joined together.

In the operation of my invention, the de-- sired number of ladders,sections, or frames may be readily joined together, the hooked end ofthe spring-clutch B of one section antomatically slipping over theprojection, or its equivalent,upon the opposite section,thereby securelylocking the same together. The several parts are as readily taken apartby releasing the end or ends of the spring-clutch B from the projectionsupon the opposite section.

My invention is especially adapted for the purpose of securely holdingtogether sections of ladders, platforms, frames, &c., which mustnecessarily be of a portable nature, and which are required to be placedtogether or taken apart at short notice.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is7 1. The herein-described means for securing sections of ladderstogether, consisting in pro viding the lower ends of one section A witha spring clutch or astener, B, and with grooves 0, which engage with theprojecting ends of 20 the upper round of a lower section, the upper endsof an adjacent lower section being grooved to engage thelower round ofthe upper section, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of one section A, provided at its upper ends withgrooves c, and with the round (1, having proj ccting ends, with anopposite section having its lower ends provided with grooves 0, and witha spring clutch or fastener, B,whereby the two sections are securelyheld together, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix in y signature in presence of twowitnesses.

I PHILEMON TENN EY GATES. \Vitnesses:

ABIATHOR I. BROOKS, J OHN W. HUB'BELL.

